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Worry grows for former Fla. journalist held in Iraq

ORLANDO, Fla. — Concerns for a kidnapped photojournalist and former University of Central Florida student grew more dire Wednesday after the release of an Islamic extremist group's video threatened his life if American airstrikes continued in Iraq.

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Worry grows for former Fla. journalist held in Iraq

Concerns for kidnapped American photojournalist Steven Sotloff grew more dire Wednesday. In the video that shows the execution of James Foley, Islamic State militants threatened to kill Sotloff next if American airstrikes continued in Iraq.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Concerns for a kidnapped photojournalist and former University of Central Florida student grew more dire Wednesday after the release of an Islamic extremist group's video threatened his life if American airstrikes continued in Iraq.

Steven Joel Sotloff, who wrote for the student-run Central Florida Future between 2002 and 2004, is a hostage of the ISIS Islamist terror group and was threatened with death in the same video that portrayed the beheading of another American journalist, James Foley.

In that video, Sotloff is dressed in an orange jumpsuit and held by a militant dressed fully in black. U.S. officials believe the video is genuine and was made days before its Tuesday release, perhaps last weekend. U.S. officials have grown increasingly worried about Sotloff's fate.

Sotloff's former roommate at UCF, Emerson Lotzia, Jr., saw the video and immediately recognized his friend.

"A million people could have told him what he was doing was foolish, it seemed like it to us (as) outsiders looking in, but to him it was what he loved to do and you weren't going to stop him," Lotzia said. "Steve said it was scary over there. It was dangerous. It wasn't safe to be over there. He knew it. He kept going back."

"I think one thing people have to realize (is that) yesterday when this video came out, this is the first time his dad had seen or heard from his son since last December," Lotzia said. Sotloff is believed held in Syria, along with at least three others kidnapped by ISIS.

Sotloff was a staff writer for the Central FloridaFuture, a Florida Today property, with many front-page stories. Sotloff intently covered the 2004 presidential election for newspaper.

He also covered breaking news and appeared to be particularly interested in covering politics.

While there are no professors currently working at UCF who were present during Sotloff's time at school, Kimberly Voss, journalism area coordinator at UCF, said it is imperative to have reporters on the front lines.

Steven Sotloff, who is being held hostage by ISIS extremists, was a senior staff writer for the Central Florida Future in 2004. (Photo: Jessica J. Saggio, Central Florida Future)

Buttons in support of James Foley are displayed during a panel discussion about the importance and dangers of reporting on world conflicts at a Free James Foley event in Boston. (Photo: Don Emmert, AFP/Getty Images)

John, center, and Diane Foley, left, parents of James Foley, listen to a panel discussion about the importance and dangers of reporting on world conflicts at a Free James Foley event in Boston in 2013. (Photo: Don Emmert, AFP/Getty Images)

Freed journalists Nigel Chandler, left, of Britain, Manu Brabo of Spain, James Foley of the U.S. and his compatriot Clare Morgana Gillis, right, arrive at Rixos Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, on May 18, 2011, following their release. They had disappeared April 4 while covering the conflict in Libya. (Photo: Mahmud Turkia, AFP/Getty Images)

John Foley, left, and his wife Diane, back to camera, talk with supporters July 25, 2013, in Rochester, N.H. after a moment of silence for James Foley, their missing son. Foley, 39, was last seen Nov. 22, 2012, in northwest Syria. (Photo: Jim Cole, AP)